How to stick to your New Year’s diet while dining out from our Health and Fitness expert, my predictions for food trends in 2022, and where to try cuisine from around the world without leaving Metro Detroit - That’s what’s on the menu for the 21st edition of the Dine In The D Newsletter. (Hi, I’m Michelle!)
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🍿 Appetizers
- 🥘 Friday on Dine in the D we are trying out the new Korean restaurant in Clawson. The owner was adopted as a baby, and is using it as an opportunity to explore his heritage.
- 😸 HopCat is coming back to Royal Oak! It will be in the old Mongolian Grill and Noodles World Kitchen location on Main Street.
- 🍪 Want your cookies to be perfectly round, and look like they are out of a magazine? TikTok has a hack for that.
- 👀 New year, new name - Hazel, Ravines & Downtown will have a new moniker.
- 🍣 Enjoy your sushi guilt-free! Sustainable seafood sweeps into this Clawson at Sozai Sushi.
- 🍽️ Below I share my ideas of 2022 food trends, but here’s what they think over at the New York Times.
🔮 The future of food - Trends I think will be big in 2022
Hello Fellow Foodies,
As it is the new year, I wanted to write down my predictions of what I think we will be seeing more of this year. Some are trends that I imagine will continue, others are things I hope will come our way.
For one, experiential dining is here to stay and only going to get bigger. What do I mean by this? Well, basically, making mealtime the main event as opposed to just a part of the night. This comes in the form of several course tasting menus that more and more restaurants are now offering. This could also reference something eye-catching that is happening alongside the meal - like the 3D chef’s table at ImaginATE, or the very cool robot that will deliver your drinks at Noodletopia, or the conveyor belt full of sushi that wraps around the entire restaurant at Kura Sushi.
Speaking of, the last two restaurants I just mentioned serve up Asian cuisine, and I think we are going to be seeing more and more of them pop up around Metro Detroit. Noodletopia serves authentic Chinese pulled noodles, a bit different than what most Michiganders typically think of as Chinese food. Isla just opened up their own place in Sterling Heights and serves some delicious Filipino food. Pho, a steamy Vietnamese noodle dish is becoming more and more popular. Korean food is also becoming more mainstream thanks to our collective fascination with KPOP. There is a Nepalese place in Ann Arbor and an Indonesian restaurant in Keego Harbor. I am also seeing several Indian restaurants opening up everywhere, or existing ones expanding to more and more locations. I say bring it on! I want more!
Takeout will continue to be king as the pandemic rages on. Luckily many restaurants have revolutionized how they do it, packing up the food better, including reheating instructions, and making it very user-friendly with apps and online ordering.
Technology in restaurants is here to stay as well. With staffing shortages and supply chain issues, electronic menus and ordering systems are making it much easier for restaurants to operate and update the menu.
One thing I hope to come to Detroit is even greater food diversity. We are just starting to get some South American and African restaurants, and I want more! I love trying out new flavors.
Also, I feel like the age of Instagram-gimmicky food is winding down. While social media will never leave our lives, and restaurants will and should use it to promote their businesses, making something just for the ‘gram that isn’t actually as tasty as it looks, is not a great long-term business model. With TikTok becoming more and more popular, it’s more about people sharing their experiences and recommendations as opposed to the most eye-catching picture.
Just some food for thought. Overall, I am very excited for what this next year will bring, and to see if I’m right!
Eat well, my friends!
-Michelle Oliver
Reporter on the 10 AM show, “Live in the D”
🍽️How to stick to your New Year’s diet while eating out
From Nutrition and Fitness Expert, Jody Trierweiler.
If you’re like most people, January is a time to focus on making healthier choices, and perhaps weight loss. If you’re someone who frequently eats out, or orders food from a delivery service, here are some guidelines to follow that will help you move toward your goals.
The general goal for weight loss is to lower the overall carbohydrate intake while consuming adequate protein and healthy fats. All while not overdoing the total calories. Here’s how:
- Start each meal with a salad! This ensures that you are getting some veggies, getting some enzymes from raw food, and meeting some of your vitamin and mineral requirements so that all systems can function properly when it comes to fat burning. The salad should include as many veggies as you can add, get extra! Add tomato, cucumber, chickpeas, beets, whatever is available. Also, omit certain ingredients that offer little nutritional value or too many calories such as croutons, cheese, tortilla strips, dried fruit, or bacon bits. For the dressing, order it on the side and stick with a vinaigrette, or oil and vinegar. Stay away from creamy dressings like ranch and blue cheese. Those are calorie bombs. Then dip your fork into the dressing before the salad so you use as little dressing as necessary.
- When ordering your entrée, choose lean cuts of protein such as chicken breast, pork tenderloin, or shrimp. Never order fried anything, instead, choose grilled or roasted. Also, avoid breaded meats such as chicken strips or coconut shrimp.
- As your side dish, veggies are king. Order 2 if possible, and stay away from potatoes that are too high in carbs and are typically prepared in an unhealthy manner. If you order steamed veggies, make sure you ask if they’ve been steamed in butter, because many restaurants do this to make them taste more appealing. Avoid these hidden calories by asking questions!
- Things to skip- breadbasket, high-calorie drinks, alcohol, heavy sauces, cheesy things, hidden sugar such as ketchup or bbq sauce, and dessert except for fruit such as berries.
- Lastly, eat slower and chew more thoroughly in order to digest your food better and feel full more quickly. This will help you take in fewer calories overall while still feeling full and satisfied.
🌍 8 worldly cuisines to try this New Year
The New Year marks a time to try new things, and one thing I really love to try is new food! Metro Detroit is home to many restaurants, including several that serve cuisine from all around the world. So let’s take a world tour with our taste buds this year, and perhaps try something new. Here are 8 places with some global fare.
The Philippines • Isla - 2496 Metro Parkway, Sterling Heights, MI 48310
Slick savory noodles topped with delicious grilled meat, and tropical frozen desserts packed with color and flavor are just some of the authentic Filipino dishes you can get at Isla. This husband and wife team loves using their culinary expertise to share food from their home country. The wife is an experienced pastry chef combining Filipino flavors like ube (a purple yam) with her traditional French technique, while the husband dishes up some savory rice and noodle bowls. I loved their Pancit Bihon, which is stir-fried rice noodles with fresh veggies which you can top with a grilled pork steak. For the full story, click here.
Korea • Miss Kim’s - 415 N 5th Ave, Ann Arbor, MI 48104
“Food & Wine” magazine named this Ann Arbor Korean restaurant to their Best New Chefs list. Chef and Co-Owner Ji Hye Kim, grew up with her mom’s delicious home cooking and it inspired her to become a chef. Food is served family-style and is meant to be shared. Popular dishes include their Korean fried chicken, which happens to be gluten-free and can be dressed with a variety of sauces, and their kimchi fried rice which can be made with or without pork. Another favorite, which Live in the D Host Jason Carr raved about, is Tteokbokki, sautéed Korean rice cakes tossed in a spicy and slightly sweet gochujang chili sauce with pork belly and a poached egg on top. For the full story and Jason’s reaction, click here.
Vietnam • Detroit Pho and Crab - 26680 Dequindre Rd, Warren, MI 48091
Seafood lovers rejoice! They have tons of fresh seafood including giant crab legs at Detroit Pho and Crab. As their name implies, they often serve it on top of a popular Vietnamese dish called Pho, a rice noodle soup with a beef broth that takes hours to make. It is often topped with a variety of meats, cilantro, and green onions. Bean sprouts, Thai basil, peppers, hoisin sauce, and sriracha are served on the side so you can customize it to your liking. It is a wonderful blend of comfort food with a nice fresh taste from the herbs. For the full story, click here.
Peru • Culantro - 22939 Woodward Ave, Ferndale, MI 48220
In the past few years, Peruvian food has become more and more popular, and for a good reason. It’s delicious! Popular dishes include Culantro’s Pollo La Brasa, which is a rotisserie chicken that has been marinated in Peruvian spice for up to 24 hours and cooked in a special charcoal oven. (Make sure to try it with the green sauce.) My personal favorite is their steak dish, Lomo Saltado, featuring steak strips cooked in a soy and red wine vinegar sauce with onions and tomatoes served over fries with a side of rice. Their cuisine is an interesting fusion of Latin American and Asian flavors. For the full story, click here.
Venezuela • Garrido’s - 19605 Mack Ave, Grosse Pointe Woods, MI 48236
Named Best Latin Food in our 2019 Vote 4 the Best Competition, you know this Venezuelan spot has to be good. Their signature dishes are their arepas, a Venezuelan sandwich made out of a flat cornbread. You can get them stuffed with all sorts of deliciousness from fresh shrimp to savory steak. Over the years they’ve added a bigger variety of dishes to their menu including Spanish paella and some stacked boozy milkshakes. For the full story, click here.
Senegal • Maty’s African Cuisine - 21611 Grand River Ave, Detroit, MI 48219
Sometimes when you try something for the first time, you end up finding a new thing you love. That is what happened to me after Tati recommended I try the Senegalese food for the first time at Maty’s African cuisine. It was SO GOOD. The most popular style of dish they have, and what I recommend first-timers try, is their Yassa. Yassa, as they put it, is “a tasty onion sauce.” The onions are caramelized and stewed for a long time in herbs and spices, and it pairs excellently with the different meats. You can get chicken, lamb or fish Yassa. The lamb and chicken in Yassa meals are marinated in their “magic sauce” which is flavored with mustard seed, are a bit tangy with a mild heat. For the full story, click here.
Burundi • Baobab Fare - 6568 Woodward Ave Suite 100, Detroit, MI 48202
East African cuisine has come to Detroit, and you have to try it! Warm savory spices, lots of colorful fresh veggies, and tender, slow-cooked meats are some of what you will find on their menu. The owners, Nadia Nijimbere and Mamba Hamissi, came to the US as refugees seeking asylum. Not having many options for employment, they decided to start a restaurant serving up food from their homeland. They started with pop-ups and joined the Hatch Detroit competition in 2017 which they won. Try their Kumuhana, chicken that has been marinated with onions, garlic, and lemon which is then grilled. Their signature dish is called Nyumbani, which is tender beef braised in a tomato sauce. You really can’t go wrong with any of these dishes. For the full story, click here.
Hungary • Hungarian Rhapsody - 14315 Northline Rd, Southgate, MI 48195
Are you “Hungary”? Well, there are lots of hearty dishes to fill up on here. (Sorry, the pun was too easy not to use). This family-owned restaurant cooks from scratch every day, serving up favorites from their home country. Some of their authentic dishes include Hungarian Goulash and Chicken Paprikash with homemade dumplings. Their desserts are something to save room for as well. They have won Local 4′s “Vote 4 the Best” for Best Ethnic Restaurant several times, so you know it’s definitely worth trying. Click here to learn more.
✍️Can I take your order?
Hello! My name is Michelle Oliver. I am a reporter, and the resident foodie on our 10 AM lifestyle show, Live In The D. Every Friday I will take you to “Dine In The D” at a different local restaurant, so make sure to watch.
Thanks for reading this newsletter! I’d love to hear about the restaurants you love in your city -- click here to submit an idea or email me directly here.
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